


Angelic Support and Devilish Mischief

by preciousbunnynoiz



Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Implied/Referenced Abuse, One Shot, Other, Short & Sweet, Supportive Crowley (Good Omens), supportive Newton Pulsifer, toxic families
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-24
Updated: 2019-11-24
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:00:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21551887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/preciousbunnynoiz/pseuds/preciousbunnynoiz
Summary: Aziraphale and Anathema meet one day and realise they are going through very similar emotional situations and form a mini self help groupMeanwhile Crowley and Newton are being awkward in a pub until they being a force for mischief and chaos - that is also a bit inept
Relationships: Anathema Device/Newton Pulsifer, Aziraphale & Anathema Device, Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens), Crowley & Newton Pulsifer
Comments: 13
Kudos: 119





	Angelic Support and Devilish Mischief

**Author's Note:**

> [Based on my own Tumblr post](https://ineffectualdemon.tumblr.com/post/189267222679/yes-but-because-its-newton-and-crowley-it-would)

The first time they hadn't planned it.

Anathema and Newton had been in London to visit his mother and see the sights. 

It had been a fantastic day! They had gone to the British museum and Anathema had loudly ranted about colonialism and repatriation and Newton had actually listened and agreed that just because England had nicked it didn't mean they could keep it.

They both felt they had fallen a little more in love.

They saw a few more sights which either got Anathema giddy with excitement or giddy with righteous indignation and Newton mostly just looked at her with adoration. 

He listened but he couldn't help but think she was so cute when she was passionate about something. 

So yeah, it had been a pretty good day.

That was until Anathema's mom called.

Anathema had been avoiding calling home. She wasn't a good liar and she knew her mother would ask, and then judge her for her choice.

But maybe it would be okay.

She sat down at a bench in St. James park and accepted the call…

And that is where Crowley and Aziraphale found her and Newton an hour later. 

She was crying in the way one does in public. Her hands covered her face and she was bent over as if that could contain the sounds of her grief.

Newton wanted to comfort her but he was also Very English and therefore rather ineffective. He patted her gingerly on the back and passed her another tissue.

Crowley was all for walking past and letting Newton deal with it but Aziraphale was still an angel and one that liked to believe he was  _ nice. _ So he stopped and walked over.

"Oh my dear girl are you quite alright?" He asked.

Anathema straightened up and tried to wipe away her tears.

"It's fi- Wait! You're the angel!" She pointed at him, the surprise finally stopping her tears, 

"And you're the demon!" She added with a point at Crowley.

"And you're a human. Are we done stating facts?" Crowley asked a little grumpy about his day with his Angel being interrupted.

"Crowley  _ do _ behave. Now tell me young lady, what has gotten you so distraught?" Aziraphale asked as he sat next to Anathema.

She sniffed and looked down. She didn't think she should air her family drama to someone who was relatively a stranger even if he was an angel. 

_ But _ , he seemed so... comfortable to be around. He made her feel the same way a warm fire on a snowy day in a comfortable cottage made her feel: safe and warm.

Or like how her favourite uncle had made her feel when she was growing up. 

He was the only one who wasn't involved in the 'family business' as it were. He was her father's brother and he took her see Disney movies and bought her a lightsaber for her birthday and introduced her to her favourite fantasy authors. 

She wished her Uncle was still around to talk to but he wasn't.

So maybe an angel could help instead.

"Its- it's my mom. I told her- I told her I didn't  _ want _ to be a professional descendent anymore. And she- and she-" Anathema burst into tears again.

"Oh dear. It seems like you have a lot you need to talk about. How about we go have a nice cup of tea? I know a simply splendid shop nearby! We'll have some tea and scones and you can tell me everything." Aziraphale offered taking her free hand and patting it.

"But Newton-" 

"Crowley will amuse your young man until we've finished out chat. Won't you dear?" Aziraphale asked Crowley who was making gestures that amounted to:  _ "what the hell Angel! No! I'm not doing it! Argh! Sod it! You owe me one!" _

"Yes fine alright! Come along Newt. We'll go to the pub." Crowley sighed.

"Is that- Do you want me to stay with you?" Newton asked Anathema and she smiled a bit wetly.

"I think talking to the angel might help a bit. You go on."

And so Aziraphale led the sniffling Anathema away with a hand on her back as he said "there there" while Newton nervously trailed after Crowley.

The cafe they found themselves was very Aziraphale. 

It was small and used real china and could be described with phrases like "old-fashioned" or "unbearably twee."

Still Aziraphale did not frequent any establishment that didn't have first rate food and Anathema was discovering the restorative properties of hot sweet tea and freshly baked scones with clotted cream and jam.

"My mom said I was ungrateful. She said I was a traitor to the family and that the crime I committed was unforgivable and that she needs time before she can speak to me again." Anathema explained in a quavering voice.

"Oh my goodness! And what  _ crime _ does she claim you committed?" Aziraphale asked before taking a bite of his scone.

"I- I lived my entire life according to the prophecies… With my entire family expecting me to stop Armageddon. When I was 10 I asked for a Gameboy and I was given instead a tarot deck. Which- admittedly I loved it but that's not the point. Everything in my life had been decided for me. Where I would go, what schools I would attend, who I dated… and then it was over. There were no more orders from Agnes. I was free… and then it arrived. A box full of new prophecies, new  _ commands.  _ And I would have done it! My opinion didn't matter after all. All that mattered is what Agnes told me to do…" 

Anathema had never said all of this in one go before. Newton knew some of it and she suspected he guessed at more. But she had never said this all outloud.

"And what happened?" Aziraphale asked gently.

"...Newton asked me what  _ I _ wanted, how I wanted to live  _ my _ life. And I realised- I had no idea... But I wanted the chance to figure it out. So I burnt them." Anathema felt like a weight had been lifted off of her.

Aziraphale patted her hand again and smiled.

"Well normally I am rather against burning the written word but I do believe that was rather for the best. I have…" he hesitated now, his genial smile faltering a bit.

"Aziraphale?"

He folded his hands in his lap and gave her a pained smile.

"Heaven has been...rather unhappy with what happened. It's been… complicated. On the one hand I am more than fine with them leaving me and Crowley alone. To finally… We've known each other since the beginning you understand. Since the garden. Six thousand years and do you know he's loved me for all of it?" His fingers fidgeted a bit as he talked and she saw the years on him then.

"I know what it's like to put your wants, your desires, on hold because you have been told that what you want is wrong. That your family knows best and if you want to venture outside the narrow confines they put you in then you are-"

"Evil" she finished in understanding.

"... Quite." 

They drank their tea in silence for a bit. It was heavy, the weight of their years of pain and repression...but it also felt lighter. Like talking to someone who understood took some of the burden off of them.

"I think you should call your mother's bluff." Aziraphale said, finally breaking the silence.

"She said she didn't want to talk to you so don't. Don't call, don't write, don't go see her. Maybe keep that up for ever." He continued.

Anathema thought about it as she tried another scone.

"I think if I get a genuine apology I will try to have a relationship with her but I think you're right. I don't need her. I shouldn't be punished for wanting a life of my own."

Aziraphale raised his cup in a salute.

"I most agree."

  
  


Not to far away Crowley and Newton sat at a slightly sticky table, each with a pint of surprisingly good beer.

Crowley had somehow gotten a newspaper and was flicking through it.

After about 25 minutes Newton finally felt brave enough to say something.

"So I-"

"Ah no. We don't need to- The talking thing isn't necessary." Crowley interrupted.

"Oh… right."

And so they drank their beer in rather awkward silence until Anathema rang Newton that she was ready to go back to his mother's. Newton was relieved that she seemed happier.

Crowley was relieved that he wouldn't have to change his evening plans.

Newton and Crowley walked away from the pub quite sure that that was the end of that. 

(It was not.)

  
  


Anathema and Aziraphale had both found someone who  _ understood. _

It wasn't that Crowley didn't know what it was like to be ousted out of Heaven but though it has hurt him and made him angry it wasn't quite the same.

Because Crowley had never been obedient really. Had never  _ really  _ tried to fit in in either Heaven or Hell.

He had always chafed at the expectations put on him and looked for cracks and loopholes that let him be true to himself.

Aziraphale's fall out with Heaven had been more complex. In a lot of ways simply because he didn't  _ actually _ fall. 

He didn't want to either. 

He had really tried to be a good angel. To do what was expected.

And he failed.

Because that's not what he really wanted. 

So maybe it was inevitable that Aziraphale would call Anathema up whenever he felt confused and conflicted and invite her for tea. 

And of course it was only natural that she would do the same. 

It took five of these "waiting in the pub for their partner" deals for Crowley to crack. 

He was drinking a bit angrily and Newton, because he was English, was trying not to comment.

"They are just  _ asking _ for me to go on a one demon rampage." Crowley snarled.

"I'm sorry?" Newton asked more than a little alarmed.

"Heaven! Do you know what they did? They sent Aziraphale a letter! A letter saying that if he comes  _ crawling _ back and  _ begs  _ for forgiveness they'll oh so magnanimously maybe allow him back into heaven! But of course he'll have to face punishment! And then they listed everything they don't like about him and listed it as a sin! Like eating food! I have never wanted to cave Gabriel's head in more!" Crowley threw back the last of his pint.

"That's  _ awful _ . _ " _ Newton said with an appalled enough voice that Crowley decided he liked him. 

"It reminds me of the truly atrocious email Anathema got just last week. She had emailed her mum a list of boundaries she needed respected and just... just read what this  _ woman _ wrote her daughter!" Newton pulled out a print out of the email that Anathema's mother had wrote where she blatantly tried to gaslit her twice and guilt trip her saying that she had "hurt her deeply" for asking for boundaries

(He had a print out because she had asked for his confirmation that her mother was in he wrong)

"What a bitch." Crowley said after a moment, "she's well rid of her. Now let me tell you about what Gabrial said about Aziraphale's weight!"

A few more drinks and rants about their loved ones relatives being dicks they managed to find a new topic of conversation.

"So you, what's your story? Why were you at the end of the world?" Crowley asked.

Newton sighed pensively.

"Apparently despite the fact that I love technology and just want to be able to use it reliably I am like death to anything with a computer in it." He explained.

He did  _ not _ expect for Crowley to light up like a kid on Christmas morning

"What?" He asked.

"Oh we are going to have so much fun!"

Which is how they ended up in miracled up jackets at a power station with Crowley grinning with glee.

"I don't know about this…" Newton said eyeing the computers.

"Look at it this way," Crowley said, "Picture it: it's dark, the room is lit by the gentle glow of candles. The mood is soft and romantic and it's just you and your witch." 

"I mean- that's amazing but-"

"Newton. Fate has made you her bitch. Denied you what you wanted to be. Taken away your  _ self-expression _ . So do you want to bow down meekly to that or do you want to say fuck it: I'm an agent of chaos."

Newton looked at Crowley and then at the computer. 

With a set jaw he tapped two keys and instantly the power went down for the whole of London.

"You're my new favourite human." Crowley said with a pat to Newton's back 

That night Anathema and Newton got into the Air BnB they were using Newton put down a bag that was filled with far too many candles and matches a tad self consciously.

"So um..should I put out some candles? He asked.

"Oh no need. I have two high powered torches in my bag and a book light. Thank you though." She said with a smile before digging out said object and her book and curling up on the couch.

"Imma agent of chaos you know" Newton mumbled to himself.

"What was that?"

"Nothing!"

He decided if the romantic plans were off the table he might as well relax.

He sat on the couch and picked up the remote before realising:

"How am I going to watch my show now?" 

"Shh. This is the good bit."

Across town Crowley was lying on his face in the middle of his flat.

His dumb Angel had miracled a personal little light and was reading so intently he hadn't even heard Crowley come in! 

Fuck!

Plus he was cold now because the heating was off.

Stupid thing. How was he supposed to know turning off the electricity would inconvenience him as well! 

They would do better next time!

(They would not)

**Author's Note:**

> So can you tell I've been dealing with cutting out my toxic parents since June?
> 
> Projecting? In MY fanfic? It's more likely than you think
> 
> Seriously though how to people process this shit without fanfic? 
> 
> Is it even possible?


End file.
